02 November 2010

Around the Community–November Events

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) and Dreyer’s/Edy’s Fruit Bars are planting orchards across the country in a collaborative program called Communities Take Root (CTR). Through this exciting program, communities compete in a nation-wide vote to win a complete community orchard. FTPF orchards are a wonderful way for communities to grow fresh fruit for the community, beautify neighborhoods, strengthen relationships and build community food security—all through the simple act of planting fruit trees. The organization is now accepting applications for 2011. The first 125 qualified applicants will be in the running to win a free orchard, including free community workshops on planting, pruning and caring for fruit trees. Enter here>>

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Portland Children’s Museum Free Night
Fri. 11/5, 4-8pm
4015 SW Canyon Rd. Portland
Free, Food Donation to Oregon Food Bank Suggested

Have a fun Friday Night and help the Oregon Food Bank–it’s free admission night at the Portland Children’s Museum! Explore the special limited-engagement Tinkertoy exhibit, Pet Hospital, Grasshopper Grocery and Butterfly Bistro, Clay Studio, Waterworks, Clay Pit, Treehouse Adventure, Vroom Room, and dance to the musical stylings of Greasy Kid Stuff. You’re invited to bring food items for the Oregon Food Bank along with you, (click here for the list of preferred items).

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76th Annual Sausage & Sauerkraut Community Dinner
Sat. 11/6, 9am-8pm
4285 NW Visitation Rd, Forest Grove
Dinner Served 11am-8pm, $15 Adults/$7 Children (5 and under free)

Come experience tradition at the 76th Annual Sausage and Sauerkraut Community Dinner, a feast of handmade sausage, sauerkraut and applesauce made solely by hundreds of community volunteers and generations of families that have been in the small Dutch community of Verboort for over 150 years. Preparation for the sausage festival takes months, the sauerkraut alone takes six weeks to ferment in 50-gallon buckets. Nearly all of the food served at the Verboort Dinner is local and handmade–apples are plucked from nearby orchards and turned into applesauce, and the sausage is ground and smoked on the premises with a family recipe passed down through the generations.More info>>

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Worm Composting Workshop
Sat. 11/6, 2-4pm
Zenger Farm, 11741 SE Foster Rd.
$40 per family

At this hands-on workshop at Zenger Farm you will learn how to turn your food scraps into garden compost using red wiggler worms. Learn everything you need to know about worm composting AND build your own worm bin to take home, full of red wriggler worms! Kids are welcome. Instructor Elizabeth Bryant has been living and gardening in Portland for the past 10 years. She loves growing food and flowers, and creating habitat for people and critters alike. She is a Certified Master Composter and OSU Master Gardener and operates a gardening business called Garden By Cycle. More info>>

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InFARMation (and Beer!)
Tue. 11/9,  5:30-8:30pm
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St. Portland
Free

Friends of Family Farmers hosts InFARMation (and Beer!) each month to bring the issues that Oregon family farmers face onto the radar of urban consumers, and the community in general. The topic changes each month, but always focuses on the larger picture of the connection between food and farms in Oregon. This month, the guest speaker will be Daniel Imhoff, researcher, author, and independent publisher who concentrates on issues related to farming, the environment, and design. He is the author of numerous articles, essays, and books and president and co-founder of both Watershed Media and the Wild Farm Alliance. More info>>

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Heritage Pig Project Fundraiser Dinners
Tues. 11/9 & Wed 11/10 @ 7pm
OCI Restaurant, 1701 SW Jefferson St.
$75 per dinner

The Oregon Culinary Institute’s (OCI’s) Heritage Pig Project is a reflection of the Portland food community’s overarching mission to support local farmers and sustainable agriculture. On Tuesday, November 9 and Wednesday, November 10, the project will culminate with five-course dinner fundrais­ers for Chefs Collaborative and the Ecotrust “Farm to School” initiative, respectively. Both nights feature a five-course meal, each course a side-by-side comparison of the pen-raised pork and the pasture-raised pork, prepared in identical dishes. The meals will be accompanied by carefully selected local beer or wine from Upright Brewing and Chehalem Winery. Both events will be at 7PM at the OCI restaurant, located at 1701 SW Jefferson. Tickets are $75 per dinner – to purchase click here or contact OCI at 503-961-6205. More info>>

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Growing Gardens’ Gardening Basics Workshop
Wed. 11/10 6-8pm & Sat. 11/13 10am-12pm
Location provided upon sign-up
Fee calculated on a sliding scale

Growing Gardens’ Learn & Grow program offers a variety of educational resources for all levels of gardeners in our community. Learn the basics of gardening with experienced and giving volunteers from Portland’s home gardening and sustainable agriculture communities. In this two-part series you’ll learn to plan, implement and care for a healthy, affordable, and sustainable veggie garden. Part II is a continuation of Part I. You don’t have to sign up for both parts, but you’ll get more out of the workshop if you do. Sign up by emailing Rodney@growing-gardens.org or call 503-284-8420. More info>>
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The Open Kitchen Series
Sat. 11/13, 7pm
Abby’s Table, 609 SE Ankeny St.
$40, Purchase Tickets

The Open Kitchen is a new weekly food series that brings together local chefs, local food, and local movers and shakers in the food and health industry. Tonight, chef and educator Jason McCammon presents an evening that features his unique high school cooking program at the Sabin-Schellenberg Center in Milwaukie. The headliner for the evening is a braised lamb, locally sourced from a farm tied to Chef Jason’s program. Each main course will be paired with a premium wine from Fausse Piste, a local, boutique winery. You’ll also have the chance to talk with the owner Jesse Skiles of Fausse Piste, as he pours and shares a bit of history about each wine. Buy tickets>>

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24th Annual Fix-It Fair
Sat. 11/20, 8:30am-2pm
3955 SE 112th Av. Portland
Free

The 24th Annual Neighborhood Fix-It Fair is a FREE City of Portland event where you can learn simple ways to save money and connect with resources. Join your neighbors at Ron Russell Middle School for free workshops on weatherization, health and nutrition, water and energy savings, recycling, yard and garden care, and community resources. Let community experts educate you about how to spend less and stay healthy. More info>>

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Willamette Valley Wineries’ Wine Country Thanksgiving
Nov. 26-28
Willamette Valley
Tasting Fees Vary

Celebrate a fruitful harvest and the beginning of the holiday season at Wine Country Thanksgiving, one of wine country’s longest running celebrations. More than 160 wineries and tasting rooms will open to the public for special tastings and holiday festivities. Explore backcountry roads leading to a rustic barnyard tasting rooms, visit one of the many new wineries and tasting rooms in the Valley, and enjoy this rare opportunity to see first-hand the valley’s small, family-owned wineries. Taste from the barrel, sample new releases and rare wines, meet winemakers and enjoy fabulous food pairings. More info>>

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